1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to physical therapy aids for non-ambulatory patients. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a multi-position stander for supporting a user in either a prone, supine, or vertical position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Persons with ambulatory problems, such as cerebral palsy victims, are often unable to stand. Often these persons are restricted to either sitting or lying positions. The inability to stand results in the person having both psychological and physical problems because the person is unable to interact with her peers and the inability to stand retards the bone development of the user and creates abnormal muscle tone.
The inability to interact at peer level and the retarded bone growth and the abnormal muscle tone can be corrected by placing the person in a standing position. Standing places the person at peer level and the person's weight is carried by her feet, which reduces the abnormal muscle tone, while allowing the person to be in hip and knee extension. The weight-bearing effects of standing stimulate bone growth and free the hands for activity and facilitates the user with head righting. Standing also provides a psychological benefit by providing a way for the user to interact and socialize with others at a peer level. Therefore, it is desirable to have a device, such as a stander, which can orient a user in the standing position.
Depending upon the particular needs of the user, it may be desirable to place the user in either a supine, prone or vertical position. The supine position Orients the user anywhere between a generally horizontal position and an almost vertical position. The generally horizontal position aids in transferring the user from a seated or lying position to the stander. In the prone position, much of the user's weight is carried from the user's upper body to the stander, reducing the weight borne by the user's legs. However, the prone position generally allows the user to comfortably work at a desk or other similar types of furniture. In the vertical position, the user bears much of her body weight by her legs which are supported by the stander.
Previous standers were dedicated to one of the three desired positions--supine, prone or vertical. An example of a prone stander is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,089, issued Jun. 14, 1977. The prone stander generally comprises a base having a tubular support post pivotally mounted to the base. Laterally adjustable chest support, hip support and knee supports are slidably mounted to the support post. A foot platform is slidably mounted to the support post. A telescoping brace connects the front portion of the frame to the support post to provide for changing the angular orientation of the support post with respect to the base over a limited range of movement and in discrete steps.
Previous standers are unsatisfactory because they require the physical therapist or the care giver to purchase a separate stander for the prone, supine and vertical position. No previous standers provided for a single stander that could position the user in the prone, supine or vertical position. Therefore, to obtain the benefits of the three positions, the physical therapist or the care giver would have to purchase a stander for each position. Requiring a single stander for each of the three positions increases the cost to the physical therapist or the care giver and reduces the convenience to the physical therapist and care giver for using the stander. Furthermore, many of the previous standers only provided for discrete adjustment of the support pads, which prevented the user from obtaining the most comfortable position of the supports.